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Animal Planet has helped find loving homes for over 2,000 pets through a 17-city partnership with the ASPCA and animal shelters across America. As the culmination of these efforts, we teamed up with Animal Planet and PAWS Chicago to host the “Woofstock: Road to Puppy Bowl” Festival at Chicago’s Soldier Field on Saturday, June 27. Attendees visited the ASPCA booth throughout the day to sign our Adoption Pledge and download the new ASPCA app. The event featured dozens of adoptable animals from PAWS Chicago, and we were thrilled to see more than 60 of them found forever homes!

Some Happy Tails speak right to the heart, and the story of Kiko is one such case. Rescued from an unhappy past, this sweet dog found a kindred spirit in his adopter, Carlos. Together, they helped each other heal while uncovering new depths of love and companionship. Here is their story.

When Kiko arrived at the local city shelter in New York City, he was suffering from pneumonia, diarrhea and bites that appeared to be from another dog. It was clear that he needed advanced care, so the ASPCA stepped in and transferred the two-year-old pit bull to our Animal Hospital in the Upper East Side. He remained there for an entire month, until he was strong enough to be transferred to the ASPCA Adoption Center. Having moved from shelter to hospital to adoption center, sweet Kiko was more than ready to find a permanent home.

Meanwhile, Carlos, who lives in Queens, was coming out of a very similar situation. “I had just spent ten months in a shelter myself,” he says. “I felt I needed to help better someone else’s life, and I decided to adopt a dog because I wanted a loving companion.”

Carlos’s family had always adopted dogs from shelters or foster homes, so he knew that the ASPCA was a great place to begin his search for a pet. The minute he met Kiko, it was a perfect fit. “I knew he was the dog for me because our personalities just matched. He was energetic, relaxed, very affectionate and attentive,” he recalls. “Plus,” he says with a wink, “It turned out that someone was a ‘pound dog’ like me.”

On May 14, Carlos adopted Kiko and the two of them began their new life together. Kiko is on a gentle diet to help with his gastrointestinal issues, and Carlos is helping him forget his painful past. “He came from an abusive background and he gets frightened easily,” he says, “But we’re working on that every day.” The twosome likes to snuggle and take “corny photos” together, and Carlos says, “Kiko’s adjusted perfectly to living at home.”

Although they didn’t know it until the day they met, Carlos and Kiko’s stories were uncannily similar. But both made it out of a shelter and into a loving home, and together, their future is brighter than ever. Congratulations to them both this happy new life!

The Sago Palm (Cycas Revoluta) is a stocky, spike-leaved plant that is often used for landscaping. It is most commonly seen in Southern states, but thanks to increasing availability in gardening and big box stores nationwide, the APCC has seen a spike of more than 200% in Sago Palm toxicity cases nationwide. 50-75% of ingestion cases result in fatalities.

“It used to be that we only got calls from places like Texas, Florida and California, but about three years ago we started seeing cases pop up other places,” says APCC Medical Director Tina Wismer. Because people in Northern regions may not be as familiar with this plant, we want to arm pet-parents with this information. While the Sago Palm’s seeds are the most poisonous component, the entire plant is toxic. Clinical signs of Sago Palm toxicity include:

Vomiting

Bloody stools

Jaundice

Increased thirst

Hemorrhagic gastroenteritis

Bruising

Blood clotting disorders

Liver damage or liver failure

Death can occur without immediate treatment.

If you think that your animal is ill or may have ingested a poisonous substance, please call your veterinarian or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at 888-426-4435 immediately!

If your workplace is participating in this year’s fur-tivities, we hope you’ll consider bringing your four-legged friends along to your 9-to-5. Not only does evidence suggest that businesses that allow pets have happier, healthier employees, but your pooch may even encourage your non-pet owning coworkers to adopt a furry friend of their own. Here are some easy tips to help make your dog’s day on the job a big success:

Dog-Proof Your WorkspaceHide loose electrical cords and wires that your pup could be tempted to chew, and stash potentially toxic substances like plants, markers and other office supplies. Dogs love leftovers as much as we do, so be sure to empty your trash can of any remaining crumbs from yesterday’s lunch—and keep your pup distracted from others’ garbage, too!

Good Manners, PleaseNo matter how cute your pet is, constant barking can be distracting to fellow coworkers. Help your pup brush up on his or her manners before heading into the office with these ASPCA training tips.

Come PreparedBring your dog’s food, bowl, leash and favorite chew toys and treats to keep him or her occupied during the workday. Consider bringing a baby gate to corner off your doggie’s area if you anticipate being away from your pet at any point.

Break Up the WorkdayIncorporate a few ten-minute breaks into your day to give your pup some fresh air and exercise, or plan to have lunch with your furry companion at a pet-friendly restaurant or grassy spot outside. If your dog makes canine-buddies easily, get other dog-owning colleagues to come along or head out on a group walk.

For more ways your dog can make a great first impression on his or her human (and canine!) colleagues, check out our full list of office etiquette tips.

Bringing your dog to work tomorrow? We’d love to see your photos. Tweet them to us at @ASPCA using the hashtag #takeyourdogtoworkday and we’ll share our favorites!

Clark sure is a handsome guy! This friendly pup loves his favorite treats, playing with toys and hanging out by your side for a belly rub or two. Clark likes to meet other dogs and we think he could make some doggie friends with the right introductions.

Clark would love to join a family who can give him plenty of daily exercise and playtime to help him reach a healthy weight. This playful pup could be good friends with kids ages 6-and-up, and could even be pals with a laid back cat. Drop by the ASPCA Adoption Center to meet Clark today.

Clark is available for adoption at the ASPCA Adoption Center. If you are interested in adopting him, please call our Adoptions Department in New York City at (212) 876-7700 ext. 4120. To learn more about Clark, visit his profile page.

Check out the video below to watch Clark play with his friend from the ASPCA.